On Monday, October 24, the city council of Denver issued a proclamation in which they endorsed better medicare for citizens.
Better healthcare for Denver means that not only will going to the doctor become more affordable, but marginalized communities will have better access to healthcare, and more jobs will be created, resulting in more employment opportunities. This endorsement was spurred by COVID-19’s spread and consequences. Many people lost their jobs during COVID, and many essential workers, who desperately needed Medicare were unable to receive the care they needed due to restrictions and stipulations.
The proclamation agrees, and includes statements about accessibility and equity with statements such as, “the pandemic has highlighted the systemic racial bias present in our health care system that contributes to people of color having poorer access to health care and poorer health outcomes, and… Denver residents should not have to worry about loss of affordable health care when making decisions about marriage or divorce or about providing care for elderly, sick or young family members;” as well as “the final report released September 2021 from the Health Care Cost Analysis Task Force (funded by the State Legislature via HR 1176 and prepared by the University of Colorado School of Public Health) identified a state-run, not-for-profit, single-payer health care financing system as the most cost-effective way to provide comprehensive, affordable health care to all residents of Colorado.”
City Councilman Chris Hinds suffered a car accident that left him with a million in medical bills, had this to say on the matter, “I went from being a runner and someone who played on three soccer teams to racking up $1 million in health care bills in three months… The majority of people who declare bankruptcy, it’s because of medical bills, and of those, the majority have insurance. I don’t have to worry about bankruptcy. That’s a feeling too few Americans have. This is going to help a lot of people.”
Hinds was fortunate enough to have private insurance, but many essential workers and unemployed individuals do not have that access or option. Better Medicare is necessary for creating a thriving community.
